CSL Models at UMass

There are many options available to UMass faculty interested in incorporating CSL into their teaching and in pointing out CSL opportunities to students. 

Direct integration into a new or existing course

Making CSL an integral part of a new or existing course is the most common model employed by UMass faculty.  All students in the course engage in service or community-based research as a part of the course’s requirements.  Class discussions, assignments, papers and exams integrate the service experience as a necessary component of the overall academic content of the course.  Other course requirements, particularly reading load and assignments, are modified to take into account the amount of time students spend doing service.  Most students perform three to four hours of service or community-based work per week throughout the semester.

Examples:

• Students in an Education course tutor students in a range of different schools and pool their experiences to learn about the social and economic forces that shape educational opportunity.
• Students in a course on Psychology of Aging work on two projects: some visit older adults in a nursing home for conversation and games while others work side-by-side with older adults in a service project for children.
• The year-long capstone course in Information Technology organizes students into project teams; each team works with a community organization to develop solutions to its information technology needs.
  

CSL as an option for extra credit or as a substitution for another assignment

Some UMass faculty offer CSL as a "fourth credit option" either through their own department or through an optional Honors Colloquium through Commonwealth College.  Students in such courses opt to engage in service that directly relates to the content of the course they are taking.  Generally a faculty member provides a list of appropriate placements, students negotiate the terms of their placement with community organization representatives, and the instructor engages the students in writing and discussion that integrates this experience into the rest of the course content.

Less frequently, professors offer service-learning as one among several choices in major assignments.  Students might be offered the option of completing a standard library-based research paper or writing about their experience working in a community setting.

Example:

• Students in an Economic Geography class participate in community based research, which includes volunteer work with community-supported agriculture projects.
  
  

CSL Honors Independent Study (CSLHIS): additional credit for individual students who want to do service-learning

CSL Honors Independent Study (CSLHIS) offers students an opportunity to enhance their course experience by participating in service that is related to the content of a course.  Students receive up to two credits for demonstrating the learning that comes from engaging in meaningful community service combined with reflection and academic exploration.  You can encourage your students to arrange a CSL Honors Independent Study as a way to connect what they are learning in your class to real-world issues.

Click here to find out more about how you can help a student who has asked you to sponsor a CSLHIS project.

Examples:

• A student in an Accounting course signs up for CSLHIS and arranges to assist the bookkeeper of a local human service organization.  She learns first-hand about the reality of accounting in a small organization.

Intensive programs

Across campus, both individual professors and teams of faculty have developed intensive CSL programs that engage students in meaningful community-based work.  While some programs are concentrated into a single semester, others span multiple semesters.  All operate with the support of student leadership.

Examples:

• Students in the two-year Citizen Scholars Program develop the knowledge and skills to be active and effective citizens who work to advance social justice.  Citizen Scholars complete a sequence of four 4-credit courses as well as an elective.  Through both formal and informal structures, students claim a role in the program's governance.
• Students enrolled in the course Grassroots Community Development partner with grassroots organizations to study the ways in which organizations use local knowledge and assets to address community issues.  As an Alternative Spring Break program, students spend the beginning of the semester learning about grassroots organizations and preparing for their immersion in another community.  During spring break, students travel to spend the week working alongside community members and then return to reflect on what—for many—is a transformative experience.  Students take a lead role in facilitating all elements of this program.